Monthly Archives: July 2011

Postcard from Up North

Walloon Lake 7-11 SM

Walloon Lake, summer night. Wish you were here. (This must be real if it looks this good taken with my phone.)

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Are you a coosa?

Coosa plate laban SM

Many of us at some point or another have called a small child “pumpkin.” Sweet little thing you just want to eat up. My father was someone who enjoyed taking liberties with language, and he developed his own kind of … Continue reading

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Technique: How to core coosa, or summer squash

Coosa cored finished sm2

To make stuffed squash, or coosa mehshee (MEH-she), the squash has to be hollowed out. A special tool is used for this, and it’s typically called a zucchini corer. These long metal corers can be found in Middle Eastern markets … Continue reading

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Ingredient: Summer Squash, or Coosa

Summer Squash sm

A thrilling experience I had when I was living in Chicago was discovering Lebanese coosa at the Green City Market (I’m easily thrilled). This variety of summer squash was dubbed “Korean” squash by the wonderful Green Acres Farm, but it … Continue reading

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Yogurt Cucumber Salad with Mint

Laban khiyar SM

When I’ve envisioned the story of my grandmother’s arranged marriage in Lebanon, and her immediate, teary-eyed departure to the United States with her new husband, one of the more lighthearted among the many serious thoughts I’ve had about her journey … Continue reading

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